A Sterling And April Story

Part 4

Sterling, Blair and April sat on the couches in the living room, TV on low. They were watching cartoons, not paying a lot of attention.

After a period of silence, Blair started "You know, I'm absolutely shattered. I'm gonna go to bed".
Sterling looked at her watch. "Woah, yeah." said Sterling. It was 3am. "Same. I'll be up in a minute."
"Hey thanks for the pancakes again, April. You're welcome round anytime." Blair gave April a comforting smile, and turned around towards the stairs. April smiled back, and her eyes darted to Sterling who was also smiling at her sister.

Sterling and April were left alone in the room, TV still on low volume and being the only thing illuminating the room. It was very dark outside, birds could be heard faintly chirping away outside the near window. The two girls were sat on one couch together with a single seater couch next to them that still had a Blair-shaped imprint on it. The atmosphere in the room had changed now Blair was gone. Previously it was comfortable and relaxed, and quite warming. Now it felt exciting, nervous even.

The silence continued for a few seconds, as both girls tried to figure out what to say.

"Well, I'd best get going. It is late, and you've had a tough night of it, Sterling Wesley." said April authoritatively. She said it behind a smile and a bit of a giggle. She started to lift herself from the couch when Sterling gently grasped her forearm.
" Wait. Do - do you have to? Go, I mean..."
April stopped lifting herself and gently lowered back to the couch. She turned her body towards Sterling, lifting her knee up onto the couch to allow her body to turn.

"I want you to have some time with your family, without having to worry about me." She touched Sterling's cheek again. God Sterling loved it when she did that. And she loved the way April was looking at her right now - as if she was the only person in the world.
"You know how I feel about you. We've got time for us, but now you need to be with your family."

Sterling's heart fluttered, and her hands went tingly. "W - Would you stay though?" She said the words before she could stop herself. "Would you stay? We could sleep side by side tonight, like we were going to?" She said the words and immediately felt so vulnerable. She'd put herself out there like this before for April and been shot down.

April looked down, as if trying to find the words to say no without hurting Sterling's feelings. She took her hand away from Sterling's cheek and gently placed it in her own lap. After a moment - which to Sterling felt like an eternity - April let out a small sigh. She smiled to herself and looked up at Sterling. She leaned in slowly and gave Sterling a gentle kiss on the lips. She backed away slightly, but only slightly, their foreheads still touching. April whispered. "I'd really like that...".

The room remained dark and dimly lit by the TV. It felt quieter now. The girls sat lost in each others eyes for a brief time before Sterling stood up, and held her hand out for April.